Airbnb’s success story is one of idealism, disruption and stratospheric growth, and if the company’s founders have their way, the story may just be getting started. Over the past decade, the company has expanded from a single air mattress on the floor of the founders’ apartment to 4 million private accommodation listings in over 191 countries worldwide – giving Airbnb more supply than the number of rooms for the top five hotel chains combined. The company has been profitable since mid-2016 and, as of March 2017, had a valuation of $31 billion.

It is no longer headline news that private accommodations are an integral part of the travel landscape. Airbnb, the sharing economy pioneer, has been around for nearly a decade, and scores of other home-sharing websites around the world are changing the way consumers think about where to stay. Now that renting is mainstream, all travel brands must understand the droves of travelers powering the rising home rental market. American and European renters stand out not only among themselves, but from the broader traveler population as well. Travel marketers in particular must pay close attention to the rise of rentals, as more and more of these coveted frequent travelers opt for a home over a hotel.

As a sharing economy pioneer, Airbnb built the business model, brand and technology that helped bring private accommodation rentals into the mainstream. It is essential for industry professionals to understand the droves of consumers that keep the wheels turning for a brand that has become one of the industry’s largest players. This report offers an unprecedented view of the Airbnb consumer – exploring who’s renting, why and how often. It also examines their experiences with hosts, satisfaction with the rental experience and much more.

Online Rental Listings presents analysis of nearly 237,927 online rental listings in the five largest urban and vacation rental markets for private accommodation in the U.S. Phocuswright partnered with Transparent, a leading analytics firm for private accommodation, to gather listings data from three leading online rental marketplaces: Airbnb, HomeAway and Booking.com.The objective of this report is to size the largest urban and vacation rental markets, assess the state of urban and vacation rental markets, and understand key trends across the leading online rental marketplaces of Airbnb, Booking.com and HomeAway.

Private accommodation has exploded over the past few years, bringing alternative lodging options into the mainstream. While both HomeAway and VRBO have been the historical leaders in this category, Airbnb has grabbed the most headlines recently – and has grown the fastest by far. This report, part of Phocuswright’s U.S. Accommodation: Clickstream & Conversion series, presents analysis of traffic trends for the U.S. online accommodation marketplace, with a focus on traffic and conversion for the leading private accommodation intermediaries. Data includes monthly unique visitors and conversion rates for both desktop and mobile websites.

Blockchain, the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, has moved from an abstract concept to concrete initiatives by both startups and established companies across all industries. The platform is now being promoted as a solution for identity, security and fraud prevention, with some predicting blockchain will be the foundation for the next generation of the Internet. In boardrooms across the country, C-level executives are evaluating their blockchain strategies. Given this focus, what will blockchain’s impact be on the near term and mid-term infrastructure for the travel industry?

In just five years, Europe’s private accommodation marketplace has witnessed explosive growth. Renting is common among European travelers, and a surge in bookings has fueled growth of online distribution platforms. At the same time, a new generation of owners and hosts are getting into the rental game. This report provides sizing and projections for Europe’s private accommodation landscape, and identifies the key players, trends and challenges that characterize the market.

Long described as “alternative” lodging, the private accommodation segment is now mainstream. Services such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO have transformed the marketplace; in 2015 nearly one in three U.S. travelers used private accommodation, and in 2016 private accommodation was projected to climb 11%, nearly twice as fast as the U.S. travel market. Based on surveys and interviews conducted with rental travelers, hosts and homeowners, property managers and executives in the vacation rental and private accommodation space, this report presents a detailed look at how this dynamic segment has evolved and where it is headed in the years to come.

In 2015, the number of U.S. adults who traveled for leisure finally surpassed the pre-recession peak. Travelers are spending more on trips, and plan to travel longer, farther and more often in 2016. This report reveals key trends and metrics on U.S. consumer leisure travel behavior. Topics include: trip type, frequency and duration; the impact of smartphone shopping and booking; and the growing influence of alternative travel-related services such as Uber and Airbnb.

As the home country to both Booking.com and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the Netherlands plays an important role in the global travel marketplace. In addition, the country’s strong Internet penetration and open-minded population make it a very attractive online market for suppliers and intermediaries across all travel segments. This Spotlight presents an overview of the Netherlands travel market, including inbound, outbound and domestic trips, as well as an analysis of the country’s travel supplier and distribution landscapes.